Trilogy / Andromeda
Tempest · 2017-03-21
Andromeda is not an import
Andromeda does not read a Shepard save. Seven profiles replace a locked class. Jaal is romanceable by either Ryder after patch 1.08.
Mass Effect: Andromeda came out on March 21, 2017, for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. It is not inside Legendary Edition. It does not read a Shepard save. The Andromeda Initiative left the Milky Way in 2185, a year before the Reapers took Earth, so the trilogy's ending has not happened to these characters.
You play Scott or Sara Ryder, one of Pathfinder Alec Ryder's twins, on the Tempest in the Heleus cluster. There is no locked class. Seven profiles — the six trilogy names plus Explorer — turn on as you spend points in combat, tech, and biotics, and you can swap them in a fight.
The Andromeda Initiative left the Milky Way in 2185, before the Reaper war. The player is Scott or Sara Ryder, child of Pathfinder Alec Ryder. The ship is the Tempest. The cluster is Heleus. Nothing in Shepard's ending is read by this game.
Profiles instead of a class
Soldier, Engineer, and Adept are pure. Rank 1 wants 6 points in that one tree, and later ranks step through 24, 54, 99, 156, and 232. Sentinel, Vanguard, and Infiltrator are hybrids: 3, then 12, 27, 50, 78, and 116 in each of two trees. Explorer wants 2, then 8, 18, 33, 52, and 78 in all three. A Favorite is three powers plus one profile on a quick slot. BioWare's own gameplay video shows swapping from a cloak and a sniper to a close-range setup to a combo setup without a new game.
That freedom is the opposite of Mass Effect 2's weapon locks. If you wanted a Soldier who also has Singularity, this is the game that allows it, and the trilogy is the game that does not.
Six squadmates and the romance split
Liam and Cora join on the opening planetside. Drack, Peebee, and Vetra join across A Better Beginning. Jaal joins after A Trail of Hope. Each has three active skills and two passive skills that you evolve; you do not respec them into a different class.
Scott can romance Cora, Peebee, Vetra, Gil, Keri, Reyes, and Avela. Sara can romance Liam, Peebee, Vetra, Suvi, Keri, and Reyes. Jaal was Sara-only at launch and became available to Scott in patch 1.08, so a current install treats Jaal as either Ryder. Drack, Lexi, and Kallo turn you down.
Pure profiles rank at 6, 24, 54, 99, 156, and 232 points in one tree. Hybrids rank at 3, 12, 27, 50, 78, and 116 in each of two trees. Explorer ranks at 2, 8, 18, 33, 52, and 78 in each of the three trees. Favorites store three powers plus one profile and can be swapped in combat.
| Profile | Tree | Rank 1 | Trait |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soldier | Combat | 6 points in Combat | Marksman focus. Weapon damage, accuracy, and clip size. |
| Engineer | Tech | 6 points in Tech | Combat drone that boosts tech recharge and can burst an EMP. |
| Adept | Biotics | 6 points in Biotics | Biotic echoes and a biotic evade. |
| Sentinel | Biotics and tech | 3 points in each | Hybrid durability and combo setup. |
| Vanguard | Combat and biotics | 3 points in each | Melee and shields. Close-range profile. |
| Infiltrator | Combat and tech | 3 points in each | Cloak and precision weapons. |
| Explorer | All three | 2 points in each tree | The generalist. Small bonuses to weapons, tech, and biotics, including a blink evade at higher ranks. |
Tempest squad
Liam Kosta
Planetside, the opening.
Sara Ryder only.
Cora Harper
Planetside, the opening.
Scott Ryder only.
Pelessaria B'Sayle
A Better Beginning.
Either Ryder.
Nakmor Drack
A Better Beginning.
Not a romance.
Vetra Nyx
A Better Beginning.
Either Ryder.
Jaal Ama Darav
A Trail of Hope.
Sara at launch. Scott as well after patch 1.08.
| Name | Who |
|---|---|
| Liam Kosta | Sara Ryder only. |
| Cora Harper | Scott Ryder only. |
| Pelessaria B'Sayle | Either Ryder. |
| Nakmor Drack | Not a romance. |
| Vetra Nyx | Either Ryder. |
| Jaal Ama Darav | Sara at launch. Scott as well after patch 1.08. |
| Gil Brodie | Scott. Tempest engineer. |
| Dr. Suvi Anwar | Sara. Tempest science officer. |
| Keri T'Vessa | Either. Asari reporter on the Nexus. |
| Reyes Vidal | Either. Exile on Kadara. |
| Avela Kjar | Scott. Angaran historian on Aya. |
Not romances: Nakmor Drack, Lexi T'Perro, Kallo Jath.
Andromeda does not read a Shepard save. The trilogy codex and the six classes are a different rulebook.
Questions the codex gets
Should I play Andromeda before the trilogy?
You can. It will not spoil the Crucible choice, because these colonists left first. It also will not teach you the suicide mission or the import flags. If the goal is Shepard's story, play Legendary Edition in order and treat Andromeda as a side novel.
Does Explorer replace the other profiles?
No. It is the seventh, the even split. You can ignore it and rank a pure Soldier, or keep it as a fallback Favorite. Only one profile is active at a time.
Is Jaal available to both twins?
On a patched game, yes. Patch 1.08 added the male Ryder path. A day-one disc without patches still has the launch lock.